articles & blogs 2008

Banking on financial sector makes city vulnerable

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 17/12/2008
Author: Malcolm Cooper

Leeds must play to its strengths: the breadth of the financial services cluster, the quality of the city life on offer, and the depth of its labour pool. There will be no room for complacency during the tough times ahead.

Plead yes to the charge

Publication: Public Finance
Date: 16/12/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

Manchester residents are going to vote for proposals to introduce a congestion charge next week. With the incentive of a 3bn public transport investment, a yes vote is a vote for a healthy local economy.

Focus on fewer areas

Publication: The Guardian
Date: 03/12/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

Despite two decades of strong and sustained public sector investment in regeneration and infrastructure, the West Midlands still has some formidable challenges.

Lessons to be learned on both sides of the pond

Publication: Public Servant
Date: 01/12/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

Adam Marshall asks what UK cities can learn from the United States - and whether we can teach them a thing or two...

Has Darling done enough to save our regional revival?

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 27/11/2008
Author: Hannah Brown

Hannah Brown asks which measures in this week's Budget will help Yorkshire's cities, and have they gone far enough?

A realistic route to homes

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 25/11/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Gordon Brown's 'three million by 2020' house-building target looks impossible. Rather than clinging on to the current unrealistic target, Margaret Beckett and HCA chief Sir Robert Kerslake should extend the deadline from 2020 to at least 2025.

Get back on the buses

Publication: Comment is Free
Date: 23/11/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

London's success with public transport holds lessons for other British cities - Dermot Finch blogs on Comment is free.

The worst is yet to come

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 13/11/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

After 15 years of renaissance, our cities are facing their first recession in a generation - Dermot Finch writes in the Local Government Chronicle.

London's long term employment problems need to be at the top of Boris Johnson's agenda

Publication: Evening Standard
Date: 17/10/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

In a letter to the Evening Standard, Adam Marshall argues that, instead of fixating on capital projects, the Mayor needs to focus more on the capital's long-term employment problems.

Innovation is not a niche policy area

Publication: New Start
Date: 17/10/2008
Author: Chris Webber

The turmoil in financial markets has focused attention on stabilising the financial system. However, when the storm eventually clears, policy makers will need to get back to the business of long-term growth, and that means supporting innovation.

Cities must go back to basics

Publication: guardian.co.uk
Date: 10/10/2008
Author: Hannah Brown

UK cities can only become leaders in business and innovation if they concentrate on getting housing and transport right, says Hannah Brown.

Crunch time for green housing

Publication: guardian.co.uk
Date: 01/10/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Eco-towns are supposed to provide a 'template' for all other new housing, but the credit crunch has cast doubts over their future.

A matter of personal taste

Publication: Whitehall and Westminster World
Date: 23/09/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

Attempts to personalise public services will only succeed if Whitehall relinquishes control and devolves power. Adam Marshall explains how centralisation will ruin government attempts at reform.

Labour needs to give power away, or lose it all together

Publication: Comment is free
Date: 19/09/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

In a recession, cities need more powers over skills, unemployment and transport, if they are to turn around their economies, comments Dermot Finch.

Power to the cities

Publication: Beyond Whitehall: A new vision for a progressive state
Date: 18/09/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

National approaches to worklessness have largely failed to move those furthest away from the labour market into work and have had lower success rates in cities than elsewhere. A more localised approach could help deliver better results, and boost employment rates, says Dermot Finch

Bad press, good questions

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 18/09/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Demot Finch, director of Centre for Cities, responds to the Policy Exchange report Cities Unlimited, saying it made a big splash.

Think globally, but act city-regionally

Publication: New Start
Date: 12/09/2008
Author: Hannah Brown

For some it's a threat, for others an opportunity. But all UK cities must learn to adapt in the face of globalisation, says Hannah Brown.

Cities must adapt to challenges of globalisation

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 11/09/2008
Author: Hannah Brown

Hannah Brown discusses what can be done to help Yorkshire's cities to get the best out of globalisation.

Globalisation lottery hits UK cities

Publication: guardian.co.uk
Date: 10/09/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Greater global economic links are boosting some cities but hurting others. The government should target regeneration help on the hardest hit, says Dermot Finch

Charging ahead? Manchester's road pricing dilemma

Publication: Public Servant
Date: 01/09/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

Some very senior politicians - including Trasport Secretary Ruth Kelly - are taking a major gamble over plans to introduce congestion charging in Greater Manchester. Adam Marshall looks at how the odds are stacked.

A job for life

Publication: Comment is Free
Date: 30/08/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Poor health and high unemployment go hand in hand in Britain's urban areas. Fix worklessness, and life expectancy will rise, argues Demot Finch on Comment is Free.

Reverse north decline

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 28/08/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

Now is not the time to write off the cities and towns of the north - Adam Marshall responds to Policy Exchange's Cities Unlimited report.

Cities Unlimited

Publication: www.epolitix.com
Date: 13/08/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

Adam Marshall responds to Policy Exchange's latest report – Cities Unlimited.  He states that both parties should be focusing on policy ideas that help to improve the absolute economic performance of the North's biggest economic hubs - with complementary policies that help smaller cities and towns to benefit from their growth.

Learning to Share

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 17/07/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

In an opinion piece that appeared in Local Government Chronicle, Dermot Finch said "Our cities are now in a position to offer some important lessons for the US - on things like how to avoid sprawl and support low-income families."

Building stronger cities at home and abroad

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 11/07/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Policy learning can and should go both ways - and this will help build stronger cities at home and abroad, says Dermot Finch.

Housebuilding and city economies: meeting demand?

Publication: Inside Housing
Date: 11/07/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

Housing markets are undeniably local, yet policy makers maintain a national focus. That needs to change, argues Adam Marshall

More gaffes please

Publication: Roof
Date: 01/07/2008
Author: Catherine Glossop

The new mayor of London should stop focusing on extending home ownership and develop the private rented sector, says Catherine Glossop.

Cities can fill the jobs picture

Publication: New Start
Date: 27/06/2008
Author: Faiza Shaheen

Despite a myriad of initiatives to tackle worklessness in recent weeks, we continue to ignore the need for local solutions, says Faiza Shaheen.

Weathering the storm

Publication: Public Finance
Date: 20/06/2008
Author: Malcolm Cooper

There's an ill wind blowing and it's threatening the government's housing and urban regeneration plans.  But there are ways to mitigate the worst effects of the credit crunch, explains Malcolm Cooper.

What the UK can teach US cities

Publication: BBC News Magazine
Date: 13/06/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

The British have long looked to US cities for inspiration. Now Americans are starting to seek UK solutions to their urban problems, says Dermot Finch of the Centre for Cities.

A vision for a transatlantic city policy swap shop

Publication: SocietyGuardian.co.uk
Date: 12/06/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

The US can learn from the UK when it comes to making cities stronger, argues Dermot Finch.

Why cities hold the solutions to climate change

Publication: Solutions Magazine
Date: 01/06/2008
Author: Paula Lucci

We've heard a lot about low-carbon homes, but not enough about low-carbon offices says Paula Lucci.

Empowering our cities to tackle worklessness

Publication: Working Brief
Date: 01/06/2008
Author: Faiza Shaheen

Cities are the power houses of our economy yet over-represented in the unemployment statistics. Faiza Shaheen argues for a devolved approach.

Bring on the mayors

Publication: Public Servant
Date: 30/05/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

If all three political parties want to re-engage in a meaningful way with the British public, they need more mayors in big cities, argues Dermot Finch.

In a mayoral chain reaction

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 29/05/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Elected mayors are back on the agenda again: why are they a good idea? Where are they needed most? And how could they become a reality?

All for one and one for all

Publication: The House Magazine
Date: 26/05/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Dermot Finch, writing in The House Magazine, anticipates some stern tests for Mayor Johnson's bid to bond with the boroughs.

Over to you, Boris

Publication: Whitehall and Westminster World
Date: 20/05/2008
Author: Malcolm Cooper and Adam Marshall

London's new mayor must think strategically to ensure the capital enjoys the benefits from 2012, according to Malcolm Cooper and Adam Marshall.

Let local acorns grow

Publication: Municipal Journal
Date: 15/05/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Last week, David Frost, from the BCC, called on councils to avoid taxing firms too heavily during the credit crunch. Here, Dermot Finch warns against using the economic slowdown as an excuse not to devolve.

London has lit torch for local power

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 09/05/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

London's impressive voter turnout in last week's elections has strengthened the case for the mayoral system in other city-regions, says Dermot Finch.

It's the turnout, stupid

Publication: Comment is free
Date: 07/05/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

Last week's London elections were historic - not just because of Boris's victory, which few would have predicted at the start of the campaign, but also because of the high turnout.

RDA chief's Manchester senate plan is spot on

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 25/04/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

In a letter to the editor of Regeneration and Renewal, Dermot Finch said that the North-West Development Agency chief executive's proposal for a "federal senate" for Greater Manchester is a good idea. 

City crunch

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 24/04/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

It's crunch time for British cities. How will our revived cities respond to economic slowdown and more intense global competition?

Northern cities need better transport links...

Publication: First Magazine
Date: 23/04/2008
Author: Paula Lucci

Northern cities need better transport links to boost the regional economy writes Paula Lucci, Analyst at the Centre for Cities, in the LGA's First Magazine.

Networking the North

Publication: Municipal Journal
Date: 18/04/2008
Author: Paula Lucci

Small Northern towns and cities need to improve their transport and economic links with major cities like Manchester and Leeds, or risk falling further behind, writes Paula Lucci in the Municipal Journal.

Comment piece on eco-towns in the Guardian

Publication: The Guardian
Date: 09/04/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

There is an economic as well as an environmental case for promoting low-carbon cities, says Dermot Finch, Director of the Centre for Cities.

What does the new Infrastructure Levy mean for London?

Publication: Planning in London
Date: 01/04/2008
Author: Catherine Glossop

Catherine Glossop discusses the government's latest response to the state of London's infrastructure.

Beyond bendy buses: challenges for London's next mayor

Publication: Transport Times
Date: 01/04/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

London's next mayor will need to put aside campaign rhetoric and bring about visible upgrades over the next four years.

Sub-national step

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 18/03/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

In a letter to the editor of Local Government Chronicle, Dermot Finch said, "let's get on with implementing the SNR and use devolution to improve the economic performance of all areas areas."

Integration and Isolation

Publication: Focus North
Date: 18/03/2008
Author: Paula Lucci, Paul Hildreth and Malcolm Cooper

Focus North feature: The policy relevance of City-Region economic linkages is overwhelmingly strong.  Higher growth and wider prosperity in the North requires the enhancement of City region integration and connectivity.  Both core cities and their smaller neighbours will suffer if the some of the latter remain in a state of semi-isolation.

BRS will boost transport projects across Britain

Publication: Financial Times
Date: 14/03/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

In a letter, published in the Financial Times, Dermot Finch says, "Supplementary business rates will give businesses a real say over what their money should be spent on."

Beyond the Bullring

Publication: Estates Gazette
Date: 01/03/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

A decade of sustained economic growth has improved the fortunes of UK cities - but can Birmingham do more to reduce the disparities between its communities and residents – and help more people benefit from its recent city centre growth?

Getting Business on Board

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 22/02/2008
Author: Adam Marshall, Head of Policy at Centre for Cities

For devolution to work, councils and businesses must reach out to each other, says Adam Marshall.

Delivering the urban housing offer

Publication: Public Policy Research
Date: 19/02/2008
Author: Catherine Glossop and Ben Harrison

Many towns and cities will need much greater technical support and financial freedom if the government’s housing aspirations are to become a reality...

Give cities the power - and cash - to plan for the future

Publication: Birmingham Post
Date: 18/02/2008
Author: Dermot Finch, Director, Centre for Cities

Birmingham has been celebrating the announcement it is to receive £400 million in funding for New Street. However, the city could have had a new station years ago if councils were given greater fiscal control, argues Dermot Finch, director of the Centre for Cities, in the Birmingham Post. 

Why our cities could profit from financial devolution

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 05/02/2008
Author: Dermot Finch, Director, Centre for Cities

Upon the launch of PwC and the Centre for Cities' national survey, Dermot Finch, Director of Centre for Cities commented in the Yorkshire Post, "there’s a huge appetite amongst businesses, city and third sector leaders for greater financial devolution...but some sticking points remain..."

Elected mayors take on new momentum

Publication: Public Servant
Date: 28/01/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

In a letter, published in Public Servant, Dermot Finch says, "With both Labour and the Conservatives thinking hard about the future of Britain's cities, there are signs of new momentum towards directly-elected mayors."

Revisiting Lyons

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 24/01/2008
Author: Dermot Finch

In a letter, published in Local Government Chronicle, Dermot Finch says, "One year on from his landmark report, Sir Michael Lyons is right to keep up the pressure for a comprehensive overhaul of local government funding".

Renaissance of British cities is still unfinished business

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 16/01/2008
Author: Adam Marshall

Following on from Centre for Cities' Cities Outlook 2008 report, Adam Marshall, Centre for Cities' Head of Policy commented in the Yorkshire Post - "Little more than a decade ago, Britain's cities were seen to be "the problem". Times have changed: there's now widespread agreement that cities will play a pivotal role in the UK's economic future."

Daily Telegraph profile of Dermot Finch

Publication: Daily Telegraph
Date: 10/01/2008
Author: Martin Baker

Few career choices can be stranger than that which faced the young Dermot Finch - casting assistant for Coronation Street or fast-track civil servant?

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